Real-time tracking collection for video experiences

Abstract

Methods and systems for tracking events associated with use of video content are disclosed. A method collects events associated with use of video content at a computing device. In response to determining that a tracking interval has elapsed, the method optimizes the collected events by grouping similar events together, serializes the optimized events by structuring the optimized events in a defined format, and creates a tracking call to send the serialized events to a remote computing device. A system determines setup parameters for tracking collection on a client computing device, the setup parameters comprising an error tracking parameter, and setup check and tracking intervals. The system periodically receives serialized event data from a client device in accordance with the tracking interval, the event data having been collected in response to occurrences of tracked events associated with use of video content at the client device, the video content including an advertisement.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 collecting, by a tracking collection system of a computing device, first event data describing a first event involving a rendition of video content and second event data describing a second event involving the rendition of the video content, wherein the first event and the second event occur during a defined tracking interval, wherein multiple tracking intervals pass during the rendition of the video content, the rendition comprising one or more advertisements; 
 creating, by the tracking collection system and during the defined tracking interval, a chained event list including the first event data and the second event data, wherein creating the chained event list comprises relating the first event data and the second event data based on the first event and the second event having a common event type, wherein the common event type for the first event and the second event comprises one of an advertisement event type describing user interaction with advertisements in the rendition of the video content, a playback event type describing the rendition of the video content at the computing device, or a quality event type comprising quality-of-service data for the rendition of the video content at the computing device; 
 responsive to determining that the defined tracking interval has passed:
 retrieving the first event data and the second event data based on the first event data and the second event data being related in the chained event list, and 
 grouping the retrieved first event data and the retrieved second event data into a common data item for transmission; 
 
 structuring, by the tracking collection system, the common data item with additional common data items for additional event type into a defined format for sending in a common transmission for the defined tracking interval; and 
 creating, by the tracking collection system, a tracking call capable of sending the common transmission to a tracking server remote from the computing device. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the tracking collection system prior to the rendition of the video content, a remote setup command from the tracking server via a data network; 
 identifying, by the tracking collection system, the defined tracking interval from the remote setup command; and 
 configuring the tracking collection system for collecting, in the defined tracking interval identified from the remote setup command, event data comprising the first event data and the second event data. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 identifying, by the tracking collection system, an external error tracking instruction from the remote setup command; 
 configuring the tracking collection system for collecting external error data describing external errors; 
 collecting, by the tracking collection system, the external error data during the defined tracking interval; and 
 continuing event-data collection operations subsequent to identifying an external error from the external error data. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting, by the tracking collection system, error data to the tracking server identifying an error rate above a threshold error rate; 
 receiving, by the tracking collection system, an emergency stop command from the tracking server in response to transmitting the error data; 
 ceasing, by the tracking collection system, event-data collection operations in response to receiving the emergency stop command. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 updating, by the tracking collection system and during the defined tracking interval, the chained event list to include third event data and fourth event data respectively describing a third event and a fourth event involving the rendition of the video content, wherein updating the chained event list comprises relating the third event data and the fourth event data based on the third event and the fourth event having an event type that is different from the common event type of the first event and the second event; 
 retrieving the third event data and the fourth event data as a group based on the third event data and the fourth event data being related in the chained event list; and 
 grouping the retrieved third event data and the retrieved fourth event data into the common data item for transmission. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein grouping the retrieved first event data, the retrieved second event data, the retrieved third event data and the retrieved fourth event data into the common data item comprises:
 combining the retrieved first event data, the retrieved second event data into a first optimized data item; 
 combining the retrieved third event data, the retrieved fourth event data into a second optimized data item; and 
 serializing the first optimized data item and the second optimized data item within the common data item. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the event type for the third event and the fourth event comprises a different one of the advertisement event type, the playback event type, or the quality event type. 
 
     
     
       8. A system comprising:
 a processing device configured for:
 collecting first event data describing a first event involving a rendition of video content at a computing device and second event data describing a second event involving the rendition of the video content, wherein the first event and the second event occur during a defined tracking interval, wherein multiple tracking intervals pass during the rendition of the video content, the rendition comprising one or more advertisements; 
 creating, during the defined tracking interval, a chained event list including the first event data and the second event data, wherein creating the chained event list comprises relating the first event data and the second event data based on the first event and the second event having a common event type, wherein the common event type for the first event and the second event comprises one of an advertisement event type describing user interaction with advertisements in the rendition of the video content, a playback event type describing the rendition of the video content at the computing device, or a quality event type comprising quality-of-service data for the rendition of the video content at the computing device; 
 performing, responsive to determining that the defined tracking interval has passed, operations comprising:
 retrieving the first event data and the second event data based on the first event data and the second event data being related in the chained event list, and 
 grouping the retrieved first event data and the retrieved second event data into a common data item for transmission; 
 
 structuring the common data item with additional common data items for additional event type into a defined format for sending in a common transmission for the defined tracking interval; and 
 
 a communications interface configured for transmitting, to a tracking server remote from the computing device, a tracking call that includes the common transmission. 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , the processing device further configured for:
 receiving, prior to the rendition of the video content, a remote setup command from the tracking server via a data network; 
 identifying the defined tracking interval from the remote setup command; and 
 configuring the computing device for collecting, in the defined tracking interval identified from the remote setup command, event data comprising the first event data and the second event data. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , the processing device further configured for comprising:
 identifying an external error tracking instruction from the remote setup command; 
 configuring the computing device collecting external error data describing external errors; 
 collecting the external error data during the defined tracking interval; and 
 continuing event-data collection operations subsequent to identifying an external error from the external error data. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 8 , the processing device further configured for:
 transmitting error data to the tracking server identifying an error rate above a threshold error rate; 
 receiving an emergency stop command from the tracking server in response to transmitting the error data; 
 ceasing event-data collection operations in response to receiving the emergency stop command. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 8 , the processing device further configured for:
 updating, during the defined tracking interval, the chained event list to include third event data and fourth event data respectively describing a third event and a fourth event involving the rendition of the video content, wherein updating the chained event list comprises relating the third event data and the fourth event data based on the third event and the fourth event having an event type that is different from the common event type of the first event and the second event; 
 retrieving the third event data and the fourth event data as a group based on the third event data and the fourth event data being related in the chained event list; and 
 grouping the retrieved third event data and the retrieved fourth event data into the common data item for transmission. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein grouping the retrieved first event data, the retrieved second event data, the retrieved third event data and the retrieved fourth event data into the common data item comprises:
 combining the retrieved first event data, the retrieved second event data into a first optimized data item; 
 combining the retrieved third event data, the retrieved fourth event data into a second optimized data item; and 
 serializing the first optimized data item and the second optimized data item within the common data item. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the event type for the third event and the fourth event comprises a different one of the advertisement event type, the playback event type, or the quality event type. 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code that is stored thereon and that is executable by a processing device to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 collecting first event data describing a first event involving a rendition of video content at a computing device and second event data describing a second event involving the rendition of the video content, wherein the first event and the second event occur during a defined tracking interval, wherein multiple tracking intervals pass during the rendition of the video content, the rendition comprising one or more advertisements; 
 creating, during the defined tracking interval, a chained event list including the first event data and the second event data, wherein creating the chained event list comprises relating the first event data and the second event data based on the first event and the second event having a common event type, wherein the common event type for the first event and the second event comprises one of an advertisement event type describing user interaction with advertisements in the rendition of the video content, a playback event type describing the rendition of the video content at the computing device, or a quality event type comprising quality-of-service data for the rendition of the video content at the computing device; 
 performing, responsive to determining that the defined tracking interval has passed, operations comprising:
 retrieving the first event data and the second event data based on the first event data and the second event data being related in the chained event list, and 
 grouping the retrieved first event data and the retrieved second event data into a common data item for transmission; 
 
 structuring the common data item with additional common data items for additional event type into a defined format for sending in a common transmission for the defined tracking interval; and 
 transmitting, to a tracking server remote from the computing device, a tracking call that includes the common transmission. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving, prior to the rendition of the video content, a remote setup command from the tracking server via a data network; 
 identifying the defined tracking interval from the remote setup command; and 
 configuring the computing device for collecting, in the defined tracking interval identified from the remote setup command, event data comprising the first event data and the second event data. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , the operations further comprising:
 identifying an external error tracking instruction from the remote setup command; 
 configuring the computing device collecting external error data describing external errors; 
 collecting the external error data during the defined tracking interval; and 
 continuing event-data collection operations subsequent to identifying an external error from the external error data. 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 transmitting error data to the tracking server identifying an error rate above a threshold error rate; 
 receiving an emergency stop command from the tracking server in response to transmitting the error data; 
 ceasing event-data collection operations in response to receiving the emergency stop command. 
 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 updating, during the defined tracking interval, the chained event list to include third event data and fourth event data respectively describing a third event and a fourth event involving the rendition of the video content, wherein updating the chained event list comprises relating the third event data and the fourth event data based on the third event and the fourth event having an event type that is a different one of the advertisement event type, the playback event type, or the quality event type; 
 retrieving the third event data and the fourth event data as a group based on the third event data and the fourth event data being related in the chained event list; and 
 grouping the retrieved third event data and the retrieved fourth event data into the common data item for transmission. 
 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein grouping the retrieved first event data, the retrieved second event data, the retrieved third event data and the retrieved fourth event data into the common data item comprises:
 combining the retrieved first event data, the retrieved second event data into a first optimized data item; 
 combining the retrieved third event data, the retrieved fourth event data into a second optimized data item; and 
 serializing the first optimized data item and the second optimized data item within the common data item.